, the genuine
dictates of her heart, never waited the solicitation of presents, or
the hopes of reciprocal services. But she lived not only to feel the
bitterness of shame imposed on her by this tyrant, but to experience,
in old age and poverty, the ingratitude of those courtiers who had long
solicited her friendship, and been protected by her credit. No one,
among the great multitudes whom she had obliged, had the humanity to
bring her consolation or relief; she languished out her life in solitude
and indigence; and amidst a court inured to the most atrocious crimes,
the frail ties of this woman justified all violations of friendship
towards her, and all neglect of former obligations.

These acts of violence, exercised against all the nearest connections
of the late king, prognosticated the severest fate to his defenceless
children; and after the murder of Hastings, the protector no longer made
a secret of his intentions to usurp the crown. The licentious life
of Edward, who was not restrained in his pleasures either by honor or
prudence, afforded a pretence for declaring his marriage with the queen
invalid, and all his posterity illegitimate. It was asserted that,
before espousing the lady Elizabeth Gray, he had paid court to the lady
Eleanor Talbot, daughter of the earl of Shrewsbury; and being repulsed
by the virtue of that lady, he was obliged, ere he could gratify his
desires, to consent to a private marriage, without any witnesses, by
Stillington, bishop of Bath, who afterwards divulged the secret.[*]

* Hist. Croyl. Cont. p. 567. Comines. Sir Thomas More, p.
482.

It was also maintained that the act of attainder passed against the duke
of Clarence, had virtually incapacitated his children from succeeding
to the crown; and these two families being set aside, the protector
remained the only true and legitimate heir of the house of York. But
as it would be difficult, if not impossible, to prove the preceding
marriage of the late king, and as the rule which excludes the heirs of
an attainted blood from private successions was never extended to the
crown, the protector resolved to make use of another plea, still more
shameful and scandalous. His partisans were taught to maintain, that
both Edward IV. and the duke of Clarence were illegitimate; that the
duchess of York had received different lovers into her bed, who were the
fathers of these children, that, their resemblance to those gallants
was a suffic